What are social workers currently doing to positively impact how people access public housing services in Spain?

Abstract

Residents of Andalusia (Spain) experienced major public housing challenges during the financial crisis. In this study, social work practices in the public housing field in Andalusia and the primary roles they are playing to help negotiate these challenges and influence housing policy are analyzed. Twenty-eight in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted among 15 social workers, four provincial managers, and eight lawyers from the Housing and Rehabilitation Public Agency of Andalusia to triangulate and explore perceptions about the roles and contributions of social workers in public housing. Content analysis was used to analyze the results. Findings indicated that this sample of professionals coordinated multiple levels of public housing issues and directed attention and resources to the needs of public housing users, especially those associated with the social needs of tenants, such as reducing conflicts associated with late payments. The findings also revealed a lack of clear guidelines for satisfactory work performance, particularly in the areas of prevention and evaluation. Evaluation and systematization of the effectiveness of social work professional practices is recommended. In addition, there is a necessity of correcting the identified shortfalls in the execution of tasks and interventions with tenants of social housing.